Love Potion 99
by sssms
Summary: Levine concocts a love potion, but it has unexpected consequences.
1. Chapter 1

Love Potion #99.1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places. I've only kidnapped…I mean borrowed them for a few hours.

I just realized that I never posted this on this site. This is a response to a challenge on another site to come up with the strangest pairing that you could think of. Well, here it is….

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Carlos stood by watching Holly Levine as she stirred something in a small boiler on the station's range. Sniffing the air, he frowned and walked closer to get a glance at the murky liquid. It was a pale green and smelled like….well he couldn't really place that smell. "Uh….Levine, what is that?"

Holly didn't hear him over the low humming noise she was making. It reminded Carlos vaguely of someone chanting. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "LEVINE."

At that, Levine jumped, knocking an empty soda can from the cabinet with a 'clang.' "Carlos, what are you doing?" she said, startled.

"What are you doing?" Carlos sounded back. "And what is that?" He pointed at the mixture.

"Oh, ummm….that's just a little something I'm working on." Levine said with a slight giggle. "Hand me that soy jerky, will you?" she asked, pointing behind Carlos.

Carlos did as asked. "You're not putting that in…there…are you?"

"Of course not, silly. You don't put jerky in a love potion." Holly clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes large, when she realized what she'd said.

"A LOVE potion." Carlos laughed. "You've gotta be kidding me." Seeing a frown on Holly's face, "You are kidding, right?"

Holly crammed a piece of the jerky into her mouth and tried to ignore Carlos.

"Holly?" Carlos quizzed.

Letting out a sigh, she decided that it might just be best to let Carlos in on her little plan and swear him to secrecy. "Look, Carlos. I'll tell you what I'm doing, but you have to promise that you won't repeat a word of this to anyone."

Carlos gave her a questioning look.

"Promise, Carlos." Holly repeated.

"Ok, ok. I promise."

"Now turn around in a circle three times." Holly instructed.

"What?"

"You heard me." Holly insisted, grabbing Carlos by the shoulders to start him turning.

"Ok. Alright. Just don't touch me." Carlos grumbled as he completed the turns. "Now what?"

"That seals it. If you tell, you'll be hexed." Holly replied.

Carlos rolled his eyes. "So what is this big secret?"

"Ok…This is a love potion guaranteed by Madam Malinda to work every time." Holly said dramatically.

Carlos peered into the pot doubtfully, then looked back at Levine. "Uh huh. So who is the poor unsuspecting fool you plan to use this on?"

"That's why you have to keep quiet. No matter what. You can't tell."

"Yeah, yeah, or I'll be hexed." Carlos said impatiently.

Holly grinned from ear to ear. "It's Ty."

Upon hearing his roommate would be the object of Levine's potion, Carlos erupted in laughter. "Tyyyyyy…..hahahaha….that's a good one Levine. Real funny. Ty's been dating Monroe for 4 months now."

Holly placed her hands on her hips and huffed. "That doesn't matter. Madam Malinda's recipe is fool proof."

"Fool proof! Really." Carlos chuckled and looked back into the pot. "So what? You have to get Ty to drink that or something? What's in it anyway? There's no way Ty's gonna drink that."

"He doesn't have to drink it, silly. It would probably kill him with the nail polish and croton oil." Holly was astonished at Carlos' ignorance when it came to potions. "I just have to get a few drops on him and on myself and it should work."

Carlos shook his head. _Ty was right. She's insane._

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Holly waited impatiently for Ty and his partner of the day to exit the station house. Finally unwilling to wait any longer, she approached the steps, carefully balancing the small bowl of her magic brew in her hands. Watching her steps in an effort to protect the precious mixture, she was unprepared when the doors of the station house flew open and several police men rushed out. Unable to move in time she collided with someone, spilling her potion. She looked up in horror at a very angry Maurice Boscorelli.

"What the…" Bosco stopped in mid sentence, looking at the slimy green substance on his shirt and hands. Smelling the horrid smell, he nearly gagged. "LEVINE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT IS THIS CRAP?"

Levine swallowed dryly, looking back down at the now empty bowl in her hands, noticing a small amount of the contents on her own hands. "Ummm….nothing….it's nothing. Sorry. Gotta go." With that she turned and ran back towards the station house to wash her hands, hoping against hope that Madam Malinda's potion would fail.

"Moron." Bosco grumbled. Turning back to the precinct, he met Ty at the doors.

Ty looked at him curiously, then let out a laugh. "What happened, Bosco? You fall in a mud hole or something? Or is some kid throwing rotten eggs?" Ty asked with a frown when he smelled the terrible smell.

"That idiot, Levine! I collided with her on the steps and she spilled this….this….whatever this is all over me. I'm gonna have to change my uniform. This will probably never come clean."

Ty began to chuckle, knowing how Bosco and Levine despised each other.

"You think this is funny, Ty? Huh? Maybe you want some on your uniform." Bosco grumbled, reaching out towards Ty with his nasty green hands.

"Oh no… uh uh….I'll stop, Bos. Come on man. I'm sorry. I won't laugh anymore."

"Good." Bosco huffed and turned toward the locker room.


	2. Chapter 2

Love Potion # 99.2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places; aren't you glad?

Holly stood at the sink scrubbing her hands with disinfectant soap. She finally stopped when she'd scrubbed them nearly raw. She dried them quickly, then reaching into her bag, pulled out the book that contained Madam Malinda's recipes. Flipping the pages, she came to #99. She was hoping to find an antidote to the potion just in case. Skimming the page, she came to a section that she had not noticed before labeled CAUTION. _CAUTION!_

"CAUTION: Caution should be used in dosing this potion. Some people are more sensitive to the effects than others. Reactions can be very intense in high doses or more subtle in lower doses. Reaction times may be prolonged in large doses, sometimes lasting up to two to three weeks; whereas, smaller doses may only last hours or days. Reactions can wax and wane during that time. Madam Malinda recommends a trial of a few drops of the potion first to see what effect it has on both parties, then increasing the dose as needed."

"WEEKS! WEEKS! NO! NO! HOW CAN THIS BE HAPPENING?" Levine shouted, then began flipping the pages frantically when she didn't see an antidote listed.

Carlos had walked into the kitchen in time to hear Levine screaming at no one. He stood watching her curiously.

"There has to be an antidote. THERE HAS TO BE!" Slamming the book down, Levine closed her eyes, bracing her hands on the counter top. She alternated between mumbling incoherently and chanting as Carlos cautiously approached her. Suddenly she grabbed a spoon from the counter and flung it in an arc over her head.

thud

"OOOUCH!" Carlos yelled, rubbing the newly forming lump on his forehead.

Levine turned swiftly with a very surprised look on her face. "Ohhh, Carlos. I'm sorry." She rushed toward him, apologizing. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were back there."

Carlos pushed her away from him as she tried to inspect his forehead. "Stop. Don't touch me. What was that?"

"A spoon." Holly answered as a matter-of –fact.

"I CAN SEE THAT." Carlos half-shouted. "What's with the screaming, mumbling, chanting, and spoon throwing?" He grumbled.

"Something terrible has happened, Carlos. TERRIBLE." Levine was almost hysterical.

"What, did Ty resist your love potion?"

"It's worse than that. I…I spilled the potion on Bosco and on myself. And I don't know how to reverse it." Holly replied.

"You spilled it on Boscorelli?" Carlos couldn't contain his laughter.

"It's not funny, Carlos." Holly huffed. "What if it works? I don't want to be Mrs. Boscorelli." She screeched.

"Calm down, Levine. This is crazy. Love potions don't work." Carlos chuckled again.

"For once I hope your right, Carlos. But what if you're not?" Holly questioned.

"Well then, I guess congratulations would be in order, Mrs. Boscorelli. Look on the bright side. Bosco's not that bad a guy once you get to know him."

"NOT THAT BAD! He's an arrogant, pigheaded, obnoxious know it all; and that's on a good day. And besides that, he's so…so…..white. Have you noticed how pale he is for an Italian?"

Carlos shrugged. Holly never ceased to amaze him. "What's wrong with the guy being white?"

"Look at this white skin, Carlos!" Holly snapped, pointing to her own arm. "You don't know what it's like to be this pale. Always being called names as a child. Burning to a crisp every time you get in the sun. I won't put my children through that. That's why I'm marrying a dark skinned man, African American, Indian, maybe even Hispanic."

"Whoa, don't get any ideas there. You keep your potions to yourself." Carlos replied, backing away.

Holly rolled her eyes. "Not you, moron. Really, Carlos. You can come up with the strangest ideas."

Carlos just shook his head, ignoring Levine's last comment. "What about your first husband? Wasn't he white?"

Levine gingerly fingered the small pouch that hung around her neck. She knew that Carlos believed that it held some of her dead husband's ashes. "Simon was Jewish and he had the most beautiful olive skin."

Seeing the sad look of longing in Holly's eyes, Carlos tried to divert the conversation. "So what's with the flying utensils?"

"Haven't you ever heard of throwing a spoon on the ground when you make a wish? Then it has a better chance of coming true. Honestly, Carlos, sometimes I wonder about you."

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Ty looked at the officer in the seat next to him, wondering who he was and what he had done with the real Bosco. The Bosco that had stormed off to the dressing room, grumbling about Holly Levine, was not the guy who had returned.

The new Bosco sat quietly, humming a tune, occasionally commenting on how beautiful the day was. He was so calm and happy, it was almost ere.

"Bos? What's gotten into you, man?" Ty questioned.

Bosco looked at him cluelessly. "What?"

"I'm not used to the humming, happy Bosco. What happened to the grumpy Bosco?" Ty asked.

"What's there to be grumpy about? The sun is shining. The birds are singing." Bosco shrugged and looked out the window. They were riding through the park with their windows down. There were groups of kids playing. Couples picnicking. Even a clown, giving away balloons. A little girl holding a red balloon waved at Bosco, who waved back with a wide grin.

Ty stared at Bosco in amazement, wondering if he'd suddenly developed a split personality.

"Up up and away, in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon. My red balloon…"

"Bosco!"

"Huh" Bosco replied.

"You're singing." Ty pointed out.

"So" Bosco replied, and started humming the same tune.

"Are you ok, Bosco?" Ty was becoming alarmed.

Bosco chuckled slightly. "I'm fine, Ty. Can't a guy be happy?" Looking back out the window, he suddenly pointed. "Purse snatcher. Stop the car."

Ty, seeing an elderly woman screaming and a man running away with a purse, hit the brakes allowing Bosco to jump out and give chase. But the chase didn't last long as the two ran through a group of kids playing soccer. Bosco, focusing on the perp in front of him, failed to see the soccer ball sailing through the air towards him.

thump

"OH CRAP!" Ty shouted, jumping from the car and running towards Bosco who was sprawled on the ground motionless.

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"Adam-55, respond to Huntington Park. PD reports and officer down, apparently hit in the head with a soccer ball."

"Great" Carlos grumbled. "I knew this was going to be a crazy day."

As Carlos and Levine stopped at the scene, Ty approached them.

"What have we got?" Carlos asked as Levine gathered supplied from the back of the bus.

"Old lady had her purse snatched. She's pretty upset. You may want to take a look at her. And Bosco got hit in the head with a soccer ball during the chase." Ty reported, pointing to Bosco who was sitting in the grass, holding his head in his hands. "He was out for a minute or so. Still seems a little off."

Carlos started towards Bosco, then stopped. A grin on his face, he turned back to Holly. "Levine, I'm going to check on the victim. You take a look at Bosco."

Levine shot daggers at Carlos with her eyes as she passed him. "I'll remember this, Carlos."

Dropping her bag down onto the grass, she knelt in front of Bosco. Hearing him groan, she reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Officer Boscorelli?" When he looked up, she could see a lump forming just above his left eye. He had a large scrape and a deep purple bruise was forming. Seeing the look of pain on his face, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "You poor baby." She muttered as she dabbed his wound with a four by four.

"Ouch." He groaned.

"Sorry." Holly apologized. "What happened?" She asked, trying to see if he was oriented.

"Chasing a purse snatcher….got hit with a soccer ball." He muttered, then flinched as Levine cleaned the wound on his scalp.

After bandaging the scrape, she started a neurological check. "Ok, Bosco. Can you look up here? I need to check your eyes."

Bosco did as told, his gaze meeting Holly's.

Leaning forward to shine the light in his eyes, Holly soon found herself captivated by a sea of deep blue. So much so, that she was unable to react when Bosco placed a hand behind her neck and pulled her lips to his. Her heart skipped a beat as she found herself locked in a passionate kiss. Pulling away finally, gasping for air, her brain told her to get away. But something else told her 'no.' She wasn't sure if it was the look in his eyes, the smell of his cologne, or another faint smell that she couldn't quite place. But she pulled Bosco to her, kissing him madly.


	3. Chapter 3

Love Potion # 99.3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places, and I know that M is grateful for that.

"What is she doing to him?" The little boy asked.

"She's giving him mouth to mouth, dummy." The little girl replied.

"Yuck!" He exclaimed. Grabbing the little girl by the hand, he pulled her towards the playground. "Let's go swing."

Hearing little voices in the background, Levine was suddenly pulled back to reality. Placing her hands on Bosco's chest, she pushed away from him, a look of horror on her face. "I….I'm sorry." She muttered and scrambled away to find Carlos.

Bosco, still dazed from the soccer ball, mumbled "Not a problem" as the grin on his face widened.

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"Carlos! Carlos!" Levine shouted as she hurried towards him, passing Ty who was on his way to check on Bosco.

"What?" Carlos looked up from examining the lady who had suffered several scrapes when she fell.

"It's Bosco!"

"What? What's wrong?" Carlos dropped the lady's arm and took a few hurried steps towards Levine. "Is he ok?"

"He's fine. I mean…. I don't know. I can't do it. I….you're going to have to check him. Go. I'll stay with her." She rambled, pointing to the victim of the purse snatching.

"What do you mean, you don't know? You can't do it? What's wrong with you, Levine?"

"I…I can't….the potion…..I just can't." Levine mumbled, turning towards the injured woman.

Carlos rolled his eyes, "The potion? Fruitcake!"

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Ty squatted down next to Bosco, noticing the far away look and the broad grin on his face. "Hey Bos, how are you feeling?" Not getting an answer, he tapped his shoulder lightly. "Bosco?"

Bosco glanced over at Ty. "Oh, hey Ty. What's up?"

"You ok, Bos?" Ty asked with concern.

"I'm fine." Bosco commented. His forehead wrinkled as if he were pondering something. "Ty, what do you think of Levine?" He asked seriously.

Ty shrugged. "I don't know, Bosco. I mean, she's a little odd, but I think she's a good medic. Why?"

"I think she's kind of cute." Bosco replied, his grin reappearing.

"Ok, you definitely hit your head harder than I thought, buddy." Ty chuckled nervously, patting Bosco on the shoulder.

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"His neuro exam is normal, Ty. He's alert and oriented. I can't make him go to the ER if he doesn't want to." Carlos argued.

"Something's not right, Carlos." Ty replied.

"This is Bosco we're talking about, Ty. When has he ever been RIGHT?"

"No, something's different. He's been acting strange all day."

"Believe me, you haven't seen strange, Ty. Try riding with Levine for twelve hours. Besides, if he's been that way all day, then it must not be related to the soccer ball. Just keep an eye on him and call us back if you need us. And make him keep an icepack on that lump." Carlos instructed.

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"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day in the neighborhood…."

Ty sat astonished at the man in the squad with him. One minute he was singing, the next he was whistling. And he was still grinning like a Cheshire cat. Ty was glad that it was time for their meal break. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.

"You hungry, Bos?"

Turning into the parking lot of their favorite Chinese restaurant, Ty was relieved to see Carlos and Levine getting out of Adam 55-3.

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Bosco's step quickened when he saw Holly Levine exiting the ambulance. Reaching the door to the restaurant just ahead of her, he yanked the door open. "After you." He motioned for her to enter, cupping her elbow as she stepped up the steps.

Looking at Bosco in shock, Holly muttered, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You're looking nice today, Holly. D'you do something to your hair?" Bosco asked.

"Um….no." Levine answered, straightening her frazzled locks.

Following the hostess to a table near the back, Bosco again moved ahead and pulled a chair out for a very surprised Levine. Motioning her into it, he gave the chair a little push forward,then sat down beside her.

Ty and Carlos looked at each other.

"I told you, Carlos. Something's not right."


End file.
